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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. toast — bread
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com